Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Some Fruits Grown in Romania

Many species of fruit are grown in Romania but their production is limited to a certain period of the year. However, there is still no habit of the population to consume fresh fruit, but a growing tendency of consumers to choose food with a high nutritional value was observed. Fresh fruits can contribute to a balanced diet and good development of metabolic processes, being valuable sources of bioactive compounds, vitamins, and energy. Few studies were focused on the nutritional potential of fruits cultivated in Romania and no paper refers to the antioxidant capacity of fruits from Romania in correlation with melatonin content. This work aims to promote the introduction of local fruits into the daily diet, as functional foods. In this regard, 19 samples such as cherries, sour cherries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and table grapes were evaluated. On this line, the antioxidant activity of the samples in relation to their melatonin content and the presence of phenolic compounds were analyzed. In general, the highest concentrations of melatonin were obtained in table grapes and cherries - Amar de Maxut. Among the analyzed species, table grapes presented the highest antioxidant activity, in accordance with their melatonin level.